1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an annunciator display device which is always on and which can wirelessly receive information to be displayed. Electronic information coming into the home can be displayed on a TV, or in some cases, a PC. When these devices are turned off, no information is displayed. However, the source of information is often still present, in the form of broadcast signals or cable TV signals which can be picked up by the annunciator of the present invention.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR xc2xa7xc2xa71.97-1.99.
Heretofore, various systems have been proposed for the remote display of information, such as the display of prices on the edge of a shelf in a supermarket or information on the screen of a television set. Also, there have been proposed remote control devices with a visual display for displaying information and including credit card and smart card readers and built in modems or adapters for communicating with a modem. Several examples of such previously proposed remote control devices and remote display systems are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
The Tsakiris et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,768 discloses a remote controlled electronic presentation system including a wireless remote control which includes an infrared receiver and an infrared transmitter for communicating with a remote transceiver coupled to a computer.
The Smith et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,480 discloses an interactive terminal which is coupled via two-way RF communication to a central location designated as the system manager. A key pad which may be directly coupled via an infrared remote control transmission link receiver is actuated to cause a prompting screen to be displayed on a television set.
The Remillard U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,396,546, 5,404,393 and 5,461,667 are directed to an electronic device and method for accessing remote electronic facilities and displaying information retrieved from the remote electronic facility on a conventional television set including a host computer connected to a television set and to a telephone line. An electronic device interface is coupled between the television set and the host computer and facilitates display of retrieved data on the television set under the operation of a remote key pad control having keys for initiating the sending of menu selection signals to the electronic device interface.
The Goldstein U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,326 discloses a programmable remote control device for interacting with a plurality of remotely controlled devices, including an optical input, an IR input and an audio input for transferring embedded data in a television broadcast to the remote control device. The remote control has an FM bi-directional communication link to a telephone interface which can be radio frequency coupled to a television set or to a telephone line or a power line. The remote control has a visual display and advertising can be displayed on the visual display.
The Dunaway U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,079 discloses a multimodal hand-held remote control device including an IR transmitter and an IR or optical receiver and/or RS 232 interface for transmitting data to and receiving data from a controlled multimedia or host.
The Cook et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,550 discloses a method and apparatus for communication of program data via a remote control unit including a remote control having an RF receiver and an RF transmitter for communicating with a digital music tuner.
The Marshall et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,504 discloses a video mix program guide stored in a computer and having an infrared radio frequency receiver. A viewer sends commands to the receiver to control operation of the computer by use of an infrared or radio frequency remote control transmitter.
The Apple Computer, Inc. PCT Patent Publication Nos. WO 95/01057, WO 95/01056, WO 95/01058 and WO 95/01059 disclose an interactive audio-visual (AV) transceiver coupled to a television set and/or a telephone cable. A remote control device is provided for communication with the AV transceiver to interactively manage selection of program and service sources. The remote control device sends and receives wireless (IR) control signals to and from an IR control unit and the audio-visual transceiver.
The Minimetrics Limited PCT Patent Publication No. WO 94/15417 discloses a combined remote.control and data logging unit for use as a market research tool and includes a transceiver comprising an infrared input and an infrared output.
Also, devices for releasably mounting an article to a planar surface, such as a wall, have been proposed. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,676 to Weinhaus.
According to the present invention there is provided a low-cost annunciator display device, or simply annunciator, capable of wirelessly (via IR or RF) receiving information to be displayed. The advantage is that, in contrast to a television or a PC, the display on the annunciator can always be on. The annunciator can act as a billboard, touting pay-per-view events, products, services, coupon offers or any other advertising, as well as carrying information such as sports, news, finance, traffic, TV guide, gaming, shopping, and features. With the added ability to wirelessly send information to a host device, interactive or transactional applications are possible.
The advertising message on the annunciator is an information payload, in the sense that an advertiser can be charged for time on the annunciator""s screen.
When the annunciator is used in conjunction with interactive applications running on a settop box, the TV itself, or a computer, it is important that the interactive advertising offers appear during commercial program breaks and not extend into the program proper. In this case, the annunciator can extend the time available to the user to respond to interactive offers by xe2x80x9ctrailingxe2x80x9d the offer to the annunciator""s screen after the interactive ad has disappeared from the TV (or PC) screen and regular programming has resumed.
Many systems which deliver information are two-way, meaning that information originating from the user can be read by or delivered to a central xe2x80x9chead end.xe2x80x9d Such systems can allow transactions by the user, such as responses to advertising offers, merely by pressing a button on the annunciator, thus bypassing the TV or PC as a display device.
In the case where the delivery medium for advertising to the annunciator is not two-way, xe2x80x9cbypassxe2x80x9d structure can be provided for return signals to a central computer. For instance, a low-cost radio transmitter in the annunciator can send data to an autodialer modem connected to the telephone line. User responses to advertising offers can then be sent by telephone to a central computer.
Cable, satellite, or broadcast TV are the normal means for transporting information to the annunciator, using receiving circuitry in the settop box or the TV itself, along with an IR or RF wireless link to the annunciator. However, bypass of the cable, satellite, or broadcast TV downstream link to the annunciator is also possible, using a paging network, FM SCA data on a radio station, a modem with a wireless link to the annunciator, or a wireless link to a computer which is in turn connected to a remote network such-as the Internet.
The fact that the display on the annunciator can always be active and readable, whether or not the TV or PC are turned on, is an important extension of the exposure of the user to advertising offers.
To accommodate the narrow bandwidth usually available on the wireless link between the sending device and the annunciator, images can be compressed before being sent to the annunciator. Either the bitmapped images can be compressed using any one of several well-known compression algorithms, such as JPEG, or drawing commands can be sent to a GDI (graphics device interface) running in the annunciator.
By allowing the annunciator to receive executable code as well as static images, the annunciator can display animated graphics, run interactive sessions with the user, or upgrade its own software to enhance its usefulness.
Thus, according to the present invention there is provided an annunciator including a visual display, wireless receiving circuitry for receiving, from a host device, data including selected information to be displayed, and software and/or hardware for maintaining the selected information displayed on the visual display of the annunciator.